yikes on a bike!

Fixed gear bikes are about to go mainstream in Tokyo, and looking at how this bike is made and run, I think I'll end up with shins speckled with bruises or worse! First, this bike does not have breaks, the handle bar is as simple as it can get. Fixed-gear means you can't freewheel or backpedal! This reminds me of my kiddie bike, I could really go fast if I pedal quickly, then my feet starts flying off the pedals, and as I try to regain a foothold on the flailing pedals, they keep hitting my shins! OWWW!

I guess biking in Tokyo on a fixed gear isn't really that difficult, you have the option of the sidewalk or to run wild with the super-cool masters of the fixed-gear, the bike messengers. The sidewalk will test your patience more than your navigation skills as you weave through slow moving armies of lolas and lolos, then you also have to dodge the other bikers in the not so cool but super sturdy and practical mama-charinko (yung may basket sa harap o likod).

At night, there are more people to either hit or miss, drunken salariman (sometimes passed out on the street), harried OLs toting their Hermes or LVs and stabbing the pavement with stiletto heels and flocks of college kids popping out of a karaoke bar, ready for the nijikai (2nd round of partying). Not much oil slick on the pavement but expect more "street pizzas" (puke) on a Friday night! Now try to break on that on your fixed-gear!

Brilliant!

Wow, kasama pala sa Cannes competiton ang "Serbis" ni Brilliante Mendoza! Ang galing naman! Napanood ko yung isang obra nya dito sa Tokyo LGBT film Festival, 2 years ago, yung "Masahista", at sana mapanood ko pa yung iba nyang mga pelikula.

Sabi nga ng kaibigan ko na expat sa Singapore, this is also Singapore's first time to be featured big time at Cannes and they are so proud of it but they are more in awe of the Philippines dahil matagal na raw tayong laging kasama sa mga ganitong international festivals, lalo na sa Cannes.

Oo nga, pero sa tingin ko "Cannes" is not even a household word sa atin, kung ikukumpara mo sa "Oscars". Buti na lang may mga cinemas na ngayon sa Manila that feature international and indie films na walang bahid ng Hollywood at marami ring mga Pinoy films na mataaas ang kalidad. Sayang nga at na-miss ko ang mga karamihan nito, pero pag-bisita ko sa Pinas, may listahan na ako ng must-have na Pinoy dvds.

maikling kuwento ng lola

happy weekend dah-lengs!

si C nagulat lately nung tinanong nya yung mga students nya kung kilala nila si Bono.

"Of course, siya yung celebrity activist na gustong burahin lahat ng utang ng Africa sa mundo" - and sagot nila.

"at ano pa..." - dugtong ng tanong ni C...

"at nagpunta sya dito sa Japan at binigyan ng Keio Uni. sya ng Honorary Doctorate Degree..." - students

"alam ba ninyo yung band na U2?" - C

"U2? puzzled looks... (di nakuha ang connection, at mukhang never heard ang banda) - students

"sighs and smiles (hayy kapanahunan ko nga pala ang U2") - C, habang minumuni-muni yung U2 live experience nya sa London waaay, waaay back in time.

clam digging!

Clam digging is FUN! Dug these myself last week and cooked vongole linguine for dinner!

Na-imbitahan ako ng 'skwelahan na pinag-tatrabahuan ko. Ang saya-saya dahil mga elementary silang lahat, from Grade 1 to 6! Bitin nga kami dahil mga 11:30 am eh kealangan na naming tumigil at mag handa for lunch. Anyway, it really got scorching hot at around 1pm, so tama na rin yun.
There's this place in Chiba where one can rent a shovel rake and a bucket and venture out into the flat sands to dig for "asari" (clams). Best bet is to look for those veteran clam diggers and dig somewhere near their spot.

no other way but up

Nagtaas ang presyo ng LAHAT ng bagay dito sa Japan, at heto, tig-5 pirasong butil kami ng karne noong isang araw, sale na nga ito ng binili ko.... I let these tidbits swim in soup para masaya naman sa hapag-kainan, parang fishing for beef kung baga.


50% off sa sashimi! HIYEHEY! grabe ang mahal na ng sashimi sa supermaket, this is a real treat, maguro and salmon! I usually go to buy groceries at "discount time", when the housewives start making a beeline for the fresh produce. Aba ang laki ng savings naman talaga di ba?

"Voyeurism is participation"

My partner and I were all set up to watch one of the dvds I rented for the weekend, drinks - check, chips (for me) - check, couch, all warm and comfy - check, remote controls - check, dvd in tray - check... aand press "play".

The dvd was David Lynch's "Inland Empire". Just about 10 minutes into the film and we'd already gave up watching it! "what the... rabbits?, えええ、なにそれ?"　Looks like we are not wired for most of his oeuvre. I already forgot what we saw instead of this film. Mind-numbing.

Anyway, my fave from the pile was "Shortbus" by John Cameron Mitchell who also directed "Hedwig and the Angry Inch". Great soundtrack. "Voyeurism is participation" ika nga ni "Creamy". Sadly, as for all dvd rentals here in Japan, genitalia has to be blurred. Ironic really in this place where "oyaji" read their sex magazine, tabloid or manga openly in a train, where you'd see couples walk-in a "love hotel" (hindi uso dito ang "biglang yuko"), where one can walk nonchalantly in sex shops and browse through all the goods, "pink films" (soft porn) are also for rent at the same shop where one can also rent "My Friend Totoro"; basta dito I don't feel any malice towards sex as compared to Manila, except for their prudish censorship of pubic hair and genitalia on film and print!

The Cure (for baldness)

Photograph: JM Charlotte/Empics

Gumising ako ng maaga para mag-aral ng Nihongo, kaya lang heto I let myself be distracted by surfing the web. Wudyubilibit? This is Robert Smith of the Cure in one of his recent concerts! KALBO na ang lolo! Parang hindi na yata bagay yung mga kanta nya sa look nya ngayon. Ay, note the butoh make-up and the cherry red platform shoes pala!